The boss of Xbox, Phil Spencer, recently appeared in the documentary series of Crackle, Playing With Power: The Nintendo Story, along with other guests, including the former president of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime, the founder of Atari Nolan Bushnell and the founder of Electroinc Arts Trip Hawkins. Spencer talked about how the unique consoles of Nintendo and their star games have influenced him over the years, and he has claimed that the entire Xbox team admires the Kyoto-based company:
I think the role Nintendo has played in making games a familiar, safe and inviting experience, as well as bringing meaningful gaming experiences to their platform, has been pivotal to the industry we have today. I don't think you can separate the video game industry from Nintendo, I think they are intrinsically linked. The thing I'm looking at is, how many people are entering the gaming world due to their first experience on a Nintendo platform? I've always said that I think Nintendo's health is something we should appreciate, and seeing them grow and innovate is great for us as an industry, but also a source of inspiration for us at Xbox, to do better and better.
I remember seeing it and will tell you that I could never have designed the Wii … I don't have it in me. I don't know if I'm not brave enough or if as a leader I would have gone for something so totally different, going all-in on a new paradigm for platforms, but it was just amazing to see. Not being good at what others do gave us a real shock and made us realize that our platforms must have unique characteristics, and the Wii was a perfect example of this.
… Steve brought us to Nintendo to see if they would consider the acquisition. They immediately laughed out loud. Like, imagine an hour of someone laughing at you. This was a bit like how that meeting went ”.
It seems therefore that Microsoft products really tried to acquire Nintendo, albeit with poor results. A company, however, which has always been in Phil Spencer's heart, and which has inspired him throughout his career, and which continues to influence the choices of the team. Xbox.
